Let it Be Me
by Kuyeng13-The Heart Logos
Summary: Let it be me." A sultry voice whispers in my ear. All Aphrodite ever wanted for him was happiness...


**Disclaimer: **You can't OWN Gods and Goddesses…to claim you do is complete arrogance…unless you ARE a God yourself o.O

* * *

"Let it be me." A sultry voice whispers in my ear. It's warm, and yet cold arms loop around my waist. A direct contradiction, yet fitting of the handsome God behind me.

* * *

All Aphrodite wanted for her brother was happiness. All she ever wished for was the joy of her siblings, and her brother deserved it most. In her opinion she was given the "short end" of the metaphorical stick. Poseidon gained the oceans, Zeus gained the heavens, he gained death, and he gained hate. While all other Gods and Goddesses, (she included) where praised and loved, worshiped and revered by mortals, Hades was subject to hate and scorn. The legends and kind words, the respect and utmost loyalty awarded to them for no reason other than their glorious splendor of superiority, it all came to them without their asking for it. Not that they where denying it either, but really sometimes it went over the top (not that she was one to talk). What had her brother received? He received hate, fear, anger, and blame. Mortals blamed everything on him; it was not _his _fault that someone died. He did not pick who died when or how, he simply judged them and it was not his fault if they were bad, they should have thought about that sooner. Hades did not dictate how one lives their life just so he can have the "joy" of damning them to eternal suffering. It did _not _cause him joy; it caused him great pain. What stupid mortal said that it caused her brother, her _sweet_, _kind_ brother, joy to make such big decisions? Whoever it was deserved to die.

* * *

"Please, let it be me…" The cold arms tighten; a frozen cheek rests against the top of her head. White hands brush the tears she did not know were flowing from her face, freezing at his touch. "Let it all fall upon me. Let me be the one…" He whispers, did he know what he was doing by saying that?

* * *

Really, Hades was a martyr, not because he wanted to be either, but because he _had _to be. In all honesty Poseidon had told her, that neither he nor Zeus had the strength required to be lord of the dead. It was not a coincidence that Hades was assigned to the cursed domain. Poseidon with his commanding but flowing power was suited for the waves, Zeus with his superior aura the heavens, but neither were strong enough to hold the burden. The heavy leaden burden of having to take the rage and anger of being lord of the dead was too great, so they assigned it to their brother. To do what Hades did everyday required a great amount of stamina, patience, and understanding. All qualities that Hades had in abundance. Everything about his countenance spoke of this, as well as wisdom, and calm, steady, determinedness; his stature was tall and firm, but open and understanding. His hair, a black halo of ebony calm and soothing, like waves of black water, sent aura waves of ease and serenity. His eyes, a calm shade of red, neither burning nor freezing, but deep and accepting. Hades was truly a martyr. He would take the hate of the world on his broad shoulders and rule the angry masses of souls with an iron grasp, and take the barbed words of mortals to his iron clad heart. Really he deserved at least ONE spot of happiness.

* * *

"You don't know what you say…"

"I do…"

"No! You don't! You don't know what you ask of me!"

"Yes. I do." Those large hands cup my face, and tilt it upwards. I see those sad eyes, those sad red eyes that make me want to cry even more, filled with resolve. "I can take it, I'm a big boy." A feeble attempt to lighten the mood between us. I think it goes without saying that it failed. He smiles, a small smile, does he expect it now? The pain? Does he know to expect disappointment, to accept defeat? His low alto, silky and smooth, but hard, like ice, frozen with confidence. I knew he could, but I didn't want to accept. I had arrived ready to yell and scream and fight, but now I was crying in his arms, just like he probably had planned me to.

* * *

And despite what mortals would say, Cupid did not shoot the arrow, Aphrodite did. She saw Persephone, the girl so full of hope and kind patience, surely a perfect match for her brother, and shot the arrow straight into Hades' heart. Her powers had filled the arrow with love, an unbridled love that brought with it devotion and pain and longing, true love. Hades had called his chariot, broke the earth and taken her into his realm of dark abyss. Perhaps her brother would have his happy ending after all.

How wrong that was. Death plagued the earth, Demeter instead of Hades the cause this time, the people finally knowing whom to blame. Aphrodite was afraid to step forward, if she did not only would she be punished but the happiness her brother had surely by now gained would be ripped from him. What could she do? Nothing and that ripped her apart.

Hades was happy, truly happy for the first time in his life. Persephone may hate him, loathe him but she was there, and he would do all in his power to make her as happy as she could possibly be. Although he did not know it then, but she too learned to love him, to accept him and see past the cold façade he wore to take the world's hate and swallow it, and to the warm, kind, and caring person he really was. And that was what he was- a person, not a god, not a ruler, not death, not a figure of hate or scorn, but a person, Hades. He was simply Hades, a man who wanted to be loved just like everyone else. Someone who felt guilt and shame, love and sadness and anger, wanted things. He was a person, and sometimes Aphrodite thought he forgot that.

When word got out that he was the one who had captured her, he came to her and knelt at her feet. A cluster of small red seeds in his palm, if she were to eat these seeds she would be able to stay, but if she did not wish to she was free to leave, she cried, afraid and unsure. But in the end she did eat the seeds, however before she could swallow the last of them the messenger of the Gods' had arrived and knocked the seeds from her hand; although his efforts were all for naught. A trail was set up. Hades versus Demeter. Who would gain the rights for Persephone? Never did they think that Hades would be the one Persephone would pick, so they just assumed things would return to normal except with a punishment to the lord of death.

* * *

"Brother, it's my fault. Please, let me vouch for you!" I pleaded, knowing it was useless, I had lost, and I had failed my brother again. And this time I caused so much hurt, irreparable hurt.

"Let it be me. Let it be me to take the blame, it's nothing I'm not used to." Hades took me by the shoulders and pressed his cold lips to my forehead, before whirling away to the trial, a fluster of black and red and gold. Leaving me behind, weeping and wallowing in self-loathing.

It had been my fault that he was in so much pain, it is my fault that another sin has he had not committed has been placed upon his shoulders, and it is my fault that his love must leave him once a year. Yes, it is my fault. My brother is martyr, rather than let I, the goddess of love take the blame of my own sin, or even my son whose arrows I used, he takes the blame on his shoulders.

_Again_.

I'm sorry big brother; I didn't really help after all did I?


End file.
